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dougd

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Everything posted by dougd

  1. dougd
    Throughout the Dozier trade discussions, it seems like most have given up on 2018 as well as this year. The Twins could be the most improved team in baseball this year and still struggle to reach .500, but is 2018 already impossible with Dozier the first half or more of the season? I would rather have two very good prospects now (if that was/is possible), but there is a small but real benefit to having Dozier available for the start of 2018 instead. The Twins did rank 29 out of 30 on the BPRo luck index for 2016. Can Polanco play the outfield? Probably better than Sano or Grossman, but is this a possibility down the line? I have heard the comment that "everyone has a Polanco" and it may be also literally true, but perhaps 2018 could be the year he becomes a Zobrist. Anyhow, there are a lot more things to be unhappy about than Dozier still being a Twin.
  2. dougd
    Arraez made the BPro Minor League Update today with a 3-4 and BB performance yesterday. They note he has 4 strikeouts in 100 AB in Venezuela. "He’s just an average runner, and there is absolutely no power whatsoever, but his swing is Spud Webb-short to the ball and he’s shown nothing short of elite contact ability in his brief career to date."
  3. dougd
    Am a little surprised that Garver was not picked for the AFL West all star team, although I take it that selection is not really based on actual AFL performance.
  4. dougd
    Twins players have performed very poorly the past week in the AFL.
  5. dougd
    Are you sure there was no injury to Buxton? He caught a fly ball for the last out of the 5th inning, and then was pinch-hit for.
  6. dougd
    AL West scout according to Chris Crawford today at BPro: The next Diaz: Tyler Jay, LHP Minnesota Twins. “I think he has a chance to start, but if you put this kid in relief? Good luck. The fastball and slider are both out-pitches right now, and left-handers have absolutely no chance against this dude. That’s not to say he can’t get right-handers out, those pitches and the change are good enough to do that, too. Heck, this might not be the next Edwin Diaz, this might be the next Andrew Miller. “
  7. dougd
    In a recent BPro minor league update Chris Crawford noted regarding Fernando Romero: "Had a pro scout with a division rival say that Romero was the guy he most “feared” would hurt his team in the long run of all their young pitchers. That’s high praise."
  8. dougd
    Someone must have known the Twins would be 27-54 back in early April, because the schedule I received back then showed that the games of July 4 and July 6 would not be televised. The Fox North presentation of the Twins games that are shown is among the league's worst, in addition.
  9. dougd
    Luis Arreaz This is what BP writer Jeff Moore said about Arreaz last August 24 in a Monday Morning Ten Pack: (GCL Twins) In the low levels of the minors, there are a ton of slick-fielding, athletic middle infielders with little to no power. It's not that that's a bad profile, but in order to stand out, a player in this mold has to have something extra. Arraez is doing that thus far, as his something extra is bat control within the strike zone. This is aided by an incredibly short swing path that makes no attempt to drive the ball or hit for any power, but there are plenty of players with similar swings who still swing and miss plenty. Arraez, despite being just 18 and stateside for the first time, makes contact at incredibly consistent rates, and even though he doesn't drive the ball, he does connect solidly. His approach is primarily to hit up the middle and the other way, which limits his power even further. Arraez is limited to second base and needs to hit .300 to succeed, and average foot speed limits his overall profile further, but his contact skills and barrel control are also rare for an 18-year-old, which gives him a chance to max out that profile. – Jeff Moore
  10. dougd
    I find it hard to believe that Duffey is so confident about his role that he is just experimenting with a new pitch. He was hit hard again today, saved by a diving catch by Arcia, according to the Red Sox announcers.
  11. dougd
    The Yankees No. 1 prospect (BP) is listed at 275 lbs and 6'7", and is described as a prototypical right fielder and an above average defender who moves well even if it doesn't show up in third to home speed. I think there is a least a decent chance that a year in the outfield won't hurt Sano or the twins.
  12. dougd
    "The Battered Bastards of Baseball" is my favorite baseball movie and is one answer to your question. Documentary on the Portland Mavericks, a team founded by Bing Russell when the Pacific Coast League left Portland in 1973. Players who had been rejected or never given a chance (including Jim Bouton) joined a team that managed to beat the bonus babies. Very entertaining, and something to do while waiting for the Twins to make another move.
  13. dougd
    Instead of making a couple "starters" unhappy, why not make them all unhappy by having 8 starters, with 4 groups of 2 for the first couple months. The game starter would be told he would pitch twice through the lineup, and the second starter would pitch the rest of the game. A Jepsen or Perkins might come in to finish the 4th or 5th inning to give starter #2 a clean slate. While it is a crazy idea, it would be fun for the fans. Perhaps Milone plus Mays, Gibson + Duffy, Santana + Hughes, Nolasco + Berrios or Rogers. Until someone gets injured or implodes or gets traded.
  14. dougd
    I had thought, somewhat contemporaneously, that the Twins did miss an opportunity to pick up Wellington Castillo from the Mariners. Their GM at the time had a penchant for failed outfielders, and Arcia would have been a perfect fit.
  15. dougd
    The #2 ranked catcher was Francisco Cervelli, who the Yankees traded to Pittsburgh for a LH relief pitcher, Justin Wilson 13 months ago. He was to be a backup in Pittsburgh, as they still hoped to keep Russell Martin. The NY Post noted: "In Cervelli, the Pirates receive a catcher who many in the game think can be a starter if he can ever stay healthy. He is viewed as a strong defender with potential in his bat. He hit .301 last year in 49 games. However, he was just about to enter the second year of arbitration and the Yankees potentially did not want to pay $1.5 million or more for a backup, particularly because they love Murphy’s defensive game, too, and think his offense has room to grow."
  16. dougd
    BP calls it a challenge trade of two former top prospects (Kelly was as high as 30 on some lists before the injuries). Only 24, Bethancourt was ranked as a top-100 prospect as recently as preseason 2014. He's since failed to impress during two big-league stints due to an overaggressive approach and overrated glove. For his big-league career, Bethancourt has offered at nearly 60 percent of the pitches he's seen, and nearly half the pitches he's seen out of his zone. Basically, he's done his best J.P. Arencibia impersonation . . . sans the occasional feats of raw power. That's just not going to work, even for a catcher. Bethancourt isn't polished on the defensive side, either. His arm strength is elite, but he's not always consistent with his footwork. Additionally, he needs to continue honing his receiving skills. Because Bethancourt is without options, he'll have to make quick progress at the big-league level.
  17. dougd
    In the long term, Hicks may become most famous for breaking Jim Kaat's record of matching his age both right-handed and left-handed in golf.
  18. dougd
    In terms of allowing baserunners to advance an extra base by a SB + PB +WP, Twins catchers were better than the American League average. Well, only by 1, but still, I imagine that preventing the extra base by strong accurately throwing outfielders is more important. The difference between Twins catchers and league average for just stolen bases is about one extra base every nine games. If LuCroy had caught as many innings as Suzuki, he would have had 22 more stolen bases against him (but more caught stealing as well). Weiters has looked awkward to me the games I have seen. Given the beating that catchers take, I would be hesitant to upgrade by trading young talent. Spend money if you can.
  19. dougd
  20. dougd
    Rosario also had a terrible winter league performance after his suspension. He was frequently cited in the Who's not hot winter league reports from BP. He then reported very late to spring training, with permission, and I had the impression it was not just due to the 50 game suspension. Something was going on that we don't know about. Maybe it was all his own doing, maybe it was family or other issues that anyone would have difficulty dealing with. Hopefully the FO is justified in believing he is now ready.
  21. dougd
    In a recent BP article, Before They Were Prospects: AL Central, a scout had this to say at the end of a several paragraph story about Stephen Gonsalves: This scout had seen Gonsalves pitch at least six times as a high schooler. I ran into him by coincidence on a back field at the Red Sox Complex during the 2013 WWBA Underclass World Championship, where the Twins and Red Sox were playing an Instructional League game. I couldn't believe the difference in Gonsalves' curveball. Instead of being in the upper 60s, it was mid-70s and had some hair on it. If Gonsalves had thrown that pitch in high school, he would have been a lock-down first-rounder. The Twins pitching coaches had done their job and done it very well. —David Rawnsley
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